Grease-retainer.



w. 0. SCHRODER. GREASE RETAINER. V APPLlCATlON FILED }UNE 29. 1915. I 1,199,931. Patented Oct. 3,191

WILLIAM mamas scnnoimn, or HEnMosa BEACH, CALIFORNIA, A'ssIeNoR or use HALF T ALBERT r. wonrmneron, oFLos ANGELES. CALIFORNIA,

GREAsE-nErAinEn.

Application filed we 29,

of Los Angeles and State of California,

have invented a new and usefulGrease-Ite tainer, of which the following is a spec fication.

This inyention-relates to means applicable for retaining grease within a housing of the driving axle of a motor car between the anti-friction bearing at the end of the housin and the differential gearing or other means by'which power is applied to drive the axle.-

'Theinvention is particularly designed in the present application to ijorce the grease away from the passage at the end of .the housing through which it might escape to the driving wheel and to causethe grease to pile up along the intermediate portion of the axle.

An object is to prevent-the grease from, working out of the axle housing onto the brakes and driving wheels.

The invention v broadly considered comprises a worm fixed at the outer bearing to the axle and turning therewith and relative to and in combination with the housing and arranged to convey the grease away from the wheel end of the axle.

More particularly the invention comprises an attachment which can be easily applied embodied the same;

to the axle to perform the work as above stated. The device may be variously constructed and comprises in connection with the worm a suitable acking arranged-be iie wheel end or outer bearing of the axle and will be herein illus-' trated in two' of the forms in which I have An object is to efi'ect the desired result by the cheapest, simplest and 'most efl'ective means without the necessity of ratchets or other complicated or expensive contriv: ances. I

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1"is a fragmental view, partly in: elevation and partly in section, showing the preferred form in which the invention is embodied. Fig. 2' is a fragmental viewon a smallerscale, partly in section,'sh0wing the tip of the axle to whichthe drive wheel,

Specification of Letters Patent.

worm to close the space betweenlth 1915. Serial No. 37,105.

3 is'a detached fragment of the detachable worm. Fig. 4 is a View from the left of Fig. 3 showing the axle and housing-in sec-j tion. form of worm. Fig. 6 is a somewhat diagrammatic representation of the invention as applied'to the driving axle of an auto-v mobile with" wheelsattlached.

Axle 1, housing 2 and outer anti-friction bearing 3 are of the usual construction, said axle having anti-friction bearings 3 at each end between the housing and-the axle to form a support for the housing on the axle.

The differential gearing 4 is also of the usual construction and arranged between the two outer bearings 3 which form avenues.

for escape. from the housing, of the grease that is required for lubricating the difieren tial gearing 4. The axle is provided with -a Worm 5 extending a distance therealong and turning with the axle and arranged to convey lubricant away from "the-outer axle Fig. 5 is a detached view of another I Patented @ct. 3', 1916. v

bearing 3; being adapted to serve as a conveyer with a direction away from the outer anti-friction bearing 3 and toward the middle of the axle. Said Worm 5 terminates in a limb 5' formed practically as a retaining ring, the same. being an abrupt .turn to measurably encircle the axle to pick up the grease to apply it to the wormvvhich-is adapted to convey the lubricant away from said abrupt bend. Said abrupt bends practically form spring rings that tightly fit the axle which is slightly taper. at the, portion t adjacent the bearing3, and the worngis fixed to the axle by forcibly driving, worm and its attaching ring 5. ,onto' the taper-portion ofthe axle. j

A packing is arranged 'betweentlie antifriction bearing and the'...oute r eadxer the and the housing 2. saidpackingflsde ably constructed of two steel washers 6,1?

andayielding-felt washer 8 interposed -be'- tween the. The 'inetal,,washers 6,1'7'

fit the axle se-tightly that they jcan only-be gr eved therea-Ion'g' by the application of con; s iderable :force, and they squeeze the felt "wash r Sti g'htly betweelijthe'm and said ,felt washerfits the inside of the housing tightly to retain. the lubricant.

In practice" to apply thegreaseretain Is]- to an axle-right and left helices 5',' }5"-" areg; applied to the-op ositej'ends of the axle, due not shown, is .fixed in. actual practice. Fig. [re

eren'cei be'ingf ad 'to the main general 1 forward direction in which the axle is to be turned to drive the car so that when the helices being surrounded by grease inside the housing, turn with the axle, they will act as conveyers to convey grease away from the wheel ends and toward the iniddle of the axle. The axle equipped with the two worms will be mounted inside the housing and the three washer members 6,, 7 and 8 will be applied to the axle and driven forcibly inward until the outer steel washer? is located where it will be just free from the anti-friction bearing 3 when the bearings are installed and the wheels in place. The attendant will then install the bearings and apply the axle wheels inthe usual way.

The outer end of the worm is bent into ring shape to tightly fit the axle, so that the worm will turn with the axle, and the body of the Worm also fits the axle tightly and may extend a considerable, distance therealong, and in practical operation the ring portion of the worm gathers the lubricant that tends to flow or work outward along the axle, and conveys the grease inward toward the diflerential gearing 4.

The most satisfactory construction is had by making the worm from apiece of wire of a cylindrical shape as indicated at a in Fig. 5, but the worm may be constructed with angular cross-section being practically of a trough shape as shown at b in Figs. 1,

2 and 3. With this construction the channel at b gathers the grease and carries it away from the bearing ends 0 at the axle; but the round wire form shown in Fig. 5 isprefen' able on account of thecheapness and, ease of manufacture and the ease of fixing it to the tion bearings at the ends of said axle, a

grease containing gear case ,to which the .prising a wire member helically wound about said axle, the wheel end of said member being ring shaped and adapted to frictionally grip said axle to' hold said wire member in position, and a packing between said ring shaped end and the anti-friction bearing adjacent thereto, the helix, of the wire member being so disposed as to convey grease in said housing toward said gear case during the normal rotation of said axle.

2. The combination with the rear axle of an .automobile, a housing therefor, anti-friction bearings at the ends of said axle, a grease containinggear case to Which the inner end of said axle is connected, a grease retainer removably. mounted on said axle between said bearings, said retainer consisting of'ia member helically wound about said axle, the wheel end of said member being ring shaped and adapted to frictionally grip said axle to. hold said member in position, the helix of said member being so disposed as to convey grease in said housing toward said gear case during the normal rotation of said axle.

3. A grease retainer for the rear axle of an automobile, comprising a helical wire having one end thereof ring shaped, said wire being adapted to'be slipped over said axle and said-ring shaped end being adaptto hold said wire in position.

Intestimony whereof, ll have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 21st day of June 1915.

wittmn GHARLES'SGEIRODER. lln presence o1E- JAMES R. Townsnnn.

ed tofrictionally engage and grip the axle 

